Saturday School

Phoenix Dance Theatre's Saturday School is running its autumn term in Leeds, with classes for young people aged 4 to 18. It's a Saturday morning programme led by the company's own practitioners, and the term runs from Saturday 19 September through to Saturday 12 December 2026, with no class on 31 October. The sessions cover contemporary and other dance styles, and they're open to beginners as well as those who've danced before.

There's a clear progression path here: the classes are split by age and level, and they lead into the company's pre-vocational training programme, Phoenix Youth Academy. Students show what they've been working on through studio sharings and perform in the company's Summer Platform. Beyond Saturday School, the theatre also runs IGNITE, weekly classes for young dancers wanting to develop technique, confidence and strength; Illuminate Dance, for young people aged 6 to 25; and 'NO BOUNDS', dance classes aimed at energetic boys.

The Saturday morning schedule is broken down by age: Step Up for 4 to 5-year-olds runs from 9.15am to 10.00am; Level 1 for 6 to 8-year-olds is 10.15am to 11.15am; Level 2 for 9 to 12-year-olds is 11.30am to 12.30pm; and Level 3 for 13 to 18-year-olds goes from 12.45pm to 2.15pm. The prices for the term are £48 for Step Up, £54 for Level 1, £54 for Level 2, and £60 for Level 3, with a 10% sibling discount and bursaries available through the Sir George Martin Trust. Everything takes place at Phoenix Dance Theatre, St Cecilia Street, Quarry Hill, LS2 7PA, Leeds.